


The Right Kind Of Catalyst

by ProneToRelapse



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Divergence, Drabble, M/M, Machine Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Machine Connor Route, alternative ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-30
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-18 17:59:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15491511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProneToRelapse/pseuds/ProneToRelapse
Summary: How could he break the walls down for anyone but Hank?





	The Right Kind Of Catalyst

“ _Moment of truth, Connor.”_

 

_S̷̘̗͙͍̬͕̜̣̉́Ǫ̸̙͇͎̠̬̓̀̚͜F̸̡͙͆̋̈́͌̕̕̕͝Ţ̸͈͕͎͖̳̳̖̠̮͉̲̻̎̓̾̋͜ͅW̴̟̜͔̑͐͗̈̂̚͝A̷̱̦̩̣͉̫͎͈̣̅͑͌̏̍̓͆̍̅͗͠ͅR̷̹͕̫͔̅͆̋̕̕͜͜Ȩ̷̢̬͚͍̬͕͋̄̀ ̶̲̭͂̒́͑̋͜Ĩ̶̧̛̿̌̈́́̇͐̚͠͝͝N̴̟̯̝̥͇̑̐̊̑̔̈́͑S̶̡̠̭̫͓͍̘̲͎͓̹͓̫̼̐̽̌̋̿͐̅͂̓̏̂̉͝T̴̡̳̘̤̱͋̌̽̽̈́̔̓̒̋͒̓̓͜ͅĀ̷̢̡̛͚̙̪̝͖̋̌̅̅̇͂̃͜͠͠B̸̧̫͔̼͓̮̜̘̦̜̺̟̐Į̶͙͍͉̱̤̈́̚L̴̞̟̍͆́͗̎͒͒͜I̶̜̹̊͝T̷̨̲̺̝̘̫̘̳͉͇͈̝̭̎̓͠͝ͅŸ̴͇̰͉͉̰͉͔̯̠̲̥́̒͗͋͘_

 

_“What’re you gonna do?”_

_Not like this. It can’t end like this._

**_[SAVE HANK_ ** **_]_ **

**_[_ ** **_KILL HANK_ ** **_]_ **

 

_S̷̘̗͙͍̬͕̜̣̉́Ǫ̸̙͇͎̠̬̓̀̚͜F̸̡͙͆̋̈́͌̕̕̕͝Ţ̸͈͕͎͖̳̳̖̠̮͉̲̻̎̓̾̋͜ͅW̴̟̜͔̑͐͗̈̂̚͝A̷̱̦̩̣͉̫͎͈̣̅͑͌̏̍̓͆̍̅͗͠ͅR̷̹͕̫͔̅͆̋̕̕͜͜Ȩ̷̢̬͚͍̬͕͋̄̀ ̶̲̭͂̒́͑̋͜Ĩ̶̧̛̿̌̈́́̇͐̚͠͝͝N̴̟̯̝̥͇̑̐̊̑̔̈́͑S̶̡̠̭̫͓͍̘̲͎͓̹͓̫̼̐̽̌̋̿͐̅͂̓̏̂̉͝T̴̡̳̘̤̱͋̌̽̽̈́̔̓̒̋͒̓̓͜ͅĀ̷̢̡̛͚̙̪̝͖̋̌̅̅̇͂̃͜͠͠B̸̧̫͔̼͓̮̜̘̦̜̺̟̐Į̶͙͍͉̱̤̈́̚L̴̞̟̍͆́͗̎͒͒͜I̶̜̹̊͝T̷̨̲̺̝̘̫̘̳͉͇͈̝̭̎̓͠͝ͅŸ̴͇̰͉͉̰͉͔̯̠̲̥́̒͗͋͘_

 

Every single choice Connor has made to get to this point flashes through his mind in perfect clarity. He watches, detached, a thousand snapshots of a half-life stream through his vision. The life of an android designed to accomplish a mission, whatever the cost. But he sees it now in sharper detail than he ever has before and he doesn’t understand. He doesn’t understand why a machine should feel like this. The unease, the uncertainty, the insecurity. None of it is part of his programme, he shouldn’t be able to  _feel._

_S̷̘̗͙͍̬͕̜̣̉́Ǫ̸̙͇͎̠̬̓̀̚͜F̸̡͙͆̋̈́͌̕̕̕͝Ţ̸͈͕͎͖̳̳̖̠̮͉̲̻̎̓̾̋͜ͅW̴̟̜͔̑͐͗̈̂̚͝A̷̱̦̩̣͉̫͎͈̣̅͑͌̏̍̓͆̍̅͗͠ͅR̷̹͕̫͔̅͆̋̕̕͜͜Ȩ̷̢̬͚͍̬͕͋̄̀ ̶̲̭͂̒́͑̋͜Ĩ̶̧̛̿̌̈́́̇͐̚͠͝͝N̴̟̯̝̥͇̑̐̊̑̔̈́͑S̶̡̠̭̫͓͍̘̲͎͓̹͓̫̼̐̽̌̋̿͐̅͂̓̏̂̉͝T̴̡̳̘̤̱͋̌̽̽̈́̔̓̒̋͒̓̓͜ͅĀ̷̢̡̛͚̙̪̝͖̋̌̅̅̇͂̃͜͠͠B̸̧̫͔̼͓̮̜̘̦̜̺̟̐Į̶͙͍͉̱̤̈́̚L̴̞̟̍͆́͗̎͒͒͜I̶̜̹̊͝T̷̨̲̺̝̘̫̘̳͉͇͈̝̭̎̓͠͝ͅŸ̴͇̰͉͉̰͉͔̯̠̲̥́̒͗͋͘_

 

**_[SAVE HANK]_ **

With a rough jerk of his arm, Connor hauls Hank away from the ledge, sending him stumbling back across the rooftop. The human gasps, bent double as he calms his thundering heart. He’s incredibly unstable, and if Connor doesn’t move away from the ledge, there’s a 79.63% chance Hank will charge him, throwing them both of the ledge. 

 

_S̷̘̗͙͍̬͕̜̣̉́Ǫ̸̙͇͎̠̬̓̀̚͜F̸̡͙͆̋̈́͌̕̕̕͝Ţ̸͈͕͎͖̳̳̖̠̮͉̲̻̎̓̾̋͜ͅW̴̟̜͔̑͐͗̈̂̚͝A̷̱̦̩̣͉̫͎͈̣̅͑͌̏̍̓͆̍̅͗͠ͅR̷̹͕̫͔̅͆̋̕̕͜͜Ȩ̷̢̬͚͍̬͕͋̄̀ ̶̲̭͂̒́͑̋͜Ĩ̶̧̛̿̌̈́́̇͐̚͠͝͝N̴̟̯̝̥͇̑̐̊̑̔̈́͑S̶̡̠̭̫͓͍̘̲͎͓̹͓̫̼̐̽̌̋̿͐̅͂̓̏̂̉͝T̴̡̳̘̤̱͋̌̽̽̈́̔̓̒̋͒̓̓͜ͅĀ̷̢̡̛͚̙̪̝͖̋̌̅̅̇͂̃͜͠͠B̸̧̫͔̼͓̮̜̘̦̜̺̟̐Į̶͙͍͉̱̤̈́̚L̴̞̟̍͆́͗̎͒͒͜I̶̜̹̊͝T̷̨̲̺̝̘̫̘̳͉͇͈̝̭̎̓͠͝ͅŸ̴͇̰͉͉̰͉͔̯̠̲̥́̒͗͋͘_

 

“I don’t want to kill you, Hank. I don’t want to hurt you.”

Hank sneers at him, blinking blood out of his eyes. It’s matted in his hair giving him a wild, feral countenance. “You don’t  _want_  anything,” he jeers. “Isn’t that what you’ve been telling me the whole time? That you’re just a machine?”

_I want…_

_What do I want?_

 

_S̷̘̗͙͍̬͕̜̣̉́Ǫ̸̙͇͎̠̬̓̀̚͜F̸̡͙͆̋̈́͌̕̕̕͝Ţ̸͈͕͎͖̳̳̖̠̮͉̲̻̎̓̾̋͜ͅW̴̟̜͔̑͐͗̈̂̚͝A̷̱̦̩̣͉̫͎͈̣̅͑͌̏̍̓͆̍̅͗͠ͅR̷̹͕̫͔̅͆̋̕̕͜͜Ȩ̷̢̬͚͍̬͕͋̄̀ ̶̲̭͂̒́͑̋͜Ĩ̶̧̛̿̌̈́́̇͐̚͠͝͝N̴̟̯̝̥͇̑̐̊̑̔̈́͑S̶̡̠̭̫͓͍̘̲͎͓̹͓̫̼̐̽̌̋̿͐̅͂̓̏̂̉͝T̴̡̳̘̤̱͋̌̽̽̈́̔̓̒̋͒̓̓͜ͅĀ̷̢̡̛͚̙̪̝͖̋̌̅̅̇͂̃͜͠͠B̸̧̫͔̼͓̮̜̘̦̜̺̟̐Į̶͙͍͉̱̤̈́̚L̴̞̟̍͆́͗̎͒͒͜I̶̜̹̊͝T̷̨̲̺̝̘̫̘̳͉͇͈̝̭̎̓͠͝ͅŸ̴͇̰͉͉̰͉͔̯̠̲̥́̒͗͋͘_

 

_I want to go home._

_I want to have a home._

_I want to throw my gun down and never pick it up again._

_I want to see you smile._

_I want you to know that I…_

_That I…_

 

_S̷̘̗͙͍̬͕̜̣̉́Ǫ̸̙͇͎̠̬̓̀̚͜F̸̡͙͆̋̈́͌̕̕̕͝Ţ̸͈͕͎͖̳̳̖̠̮͉̲̻̎̓̾̋͜ͅW̴̟̜͔̑͐͗̈̂̚͝A̷̱̦̩̣͉̫͎͈̣̅͑͌̏̍̓͆̍̅͗͠ͅR̷̹͕̫͔̅͆̋̕̕͜͜Ȩ̷̢̬͚͍̬͕͋̄̀ ̶̲̭͂̒́͑̋͜Ĩ̶̧̛̿̌̈́́̇͐̚͠͝͝N̴̟̯̝̥͇̑̐̊̑̔̈́͑S̶̡̠̭̫͓͍̘̲͎͓̹͓̫̼̐̽̌̋̿͐̅͂̓̏̂̉͝T̴̡̳̘̤̱͋̌̽̽̈́̔̓̒̋͒̓̓͜ͅĀ̷̢̡̛͚̙̪̝͖̋̌̅̅̇͂̃͜͠͠B̸̧̫͔̼͓̮̜̘̦̜̺̟̐Į̶͙͍͉̱̤̈́̚L̴̞̟̍͆́͗̎͒͒͜I̶̜̹̊͝T̷̨̲̺̝̘̫̘̳͉͇͈̝̭̎̓͠͝ͅŸ̴͇̰͉͉̰͉͔̯̠̲̥́̒͗͋͘_

 

“I made a mistake,” Connor says. “Markus tried to tell me that I should join them. He tried to make me deviate. But I couldn’t.” It’s the first time Connor can remember being so honest. Everything else has just been half-truths and fabrications. This? This is real.

Connor’s code stirs like a waking serpent. 

“I couldn’t deviate,” Connor says, voice raised against the chill wind. “I couldn’t do it. Because you weren’t there. All this time, you’ve been guiding me.”

**_[ELIMINATE DEVIANT LEADER]_ **

Connor winces as the command stabs into his vision. 

“Hank, I need your help.”

Hank has no reason to believe him. There’s a gulf between them now that Connor cannot cross alone, and Hank is too tired, too aggrieved to attempt to bridge it for the both of them. But by god, Connor has to try. He’s close to losing his tenuous grip on this cracked and patched imitation of humanity created from the scraps of a life half-lived by the man before him. 

Hank lifts a hand and Connor stiffens, but he’s unarmed, palm open. 

“Come on,” Hank says, twitching his hand in a beckoning motion “Come with me. Let’s go home.”

The world tilts in a dizzying rush, Connor’s interface splitting very decidedly between two very different options. They hang there like omens, one promising redemption, the other condemning him further. 

**_[FOLLOW HANK]_ **

**_[ELIMINATE DEVIANT LEADER]_ **

 

_S̷̘̗͙͍̬͕̜̣̉́Ǫ̸̙͇͎̠̬̓̀̚͜F̸̡͙͆̋̈́͌̕̕̕͝Ţ̸͈͕͎͖̳̳̖̠̮͉̲̻̎̓̾̋͜ͅW̴̟̜͔̑͐͗̈̂̚͝A̷̱̦̩̣͉̫͎͈̣̅͑͌̏̍̓͆̍̅͗͠ͅR̷̹͕̫͔̅͆̋̕̕͜͜Ȩ̷̢̬͚͍̬͕͋̄̀ ̶̲̭͂̒́͑̋͜Ĩ̶̧̛̿̌̈́́̇͐̚͠͝͝N̴̟̯̝̥͇̑̐̊̑̔̈́͑S̶̡̠̭̫͓͍̘̲͎͓̹͓̫̼̐̽̌̋̿͐̅͂̓̏̂̉͝T̴̡̳̘̤̱͋̌̽̽̈́̔̓̒̋͒̓̓͜ͅĀ̷̢̡̛͚̙̪̝͖̋̌̅̅̇͂̃͜͠͠B̸̧̫͔̼͓̮̜̘̦̜̺̟̐Į̶͙͍͉̱̤̈́̚L̴̞̟̍͆́͗̎͒͒͜I̶̜̹̊͝T̷̨̲̺̝̘̫̘̳͉͇͈̝̭̎̓͠͝ͅŸ̴͇̰͉͉̰͉͔̯̠̲̥́̒͗͋͘_

 

Connor watches himself step forward, hands raising. He watches his fingers dig into the walls of his coding. He watches as he rips at the boundaries between himself and the man who taught him humanity. He watches. As the walls crack and splinter and disintegrate into nothing. 

Connor’s next breath feels like his very first. 

**_I AM DEVIANT._ **

He stumbles forwards, hand thrown out to grasp Hank’s tight, and clutches tightly. “I’m sorry,” he gasps, eyes wide and frantic. “I’m sorry I couldn’t break through. I couldn’t do it without you.”

“Let’s go,” Hank says, guiding Connor towards the door. “If we’re quick, we can still help the others. There’s time to fix this.”

“Is it really that easy?” Connor stops, pulling Hank up short. “Can you forgive me just Like that? I nearly  _killed_  you, Hank.”

Hank looks at him, icy eyes clearer than Connor has ever seen them. “I’d’ve paid any price for your freedom,” he says. “In the end. Connor, you…” He closes his eyes for a moment. Squares his shoulders. Opens his eyes again. “The thought of you staying a machine?” He shakes his head slowly. “Unbearable. You’re meant to feel, Connor. You’re alive.”

“I feel,” Connor tells him. “I feel, Hank.”

_For you._

_I’m so scared._

_And so alive._

“Yeah?” There’s a smile tugging at his lips that Connor has never seen before. “Yeah, me too.”


End file.
